COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Behind closed curtains, U.S. Olympic figure skating hopefuls performed their short programs in front of thousands of empty seats at World Arena on Wednesday. There was no applause, but plenty of feedback.

For Evan Lysacek, who hasn't competed since winning gold at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, it was another opportunity to see how far he has come — and how far he still has to go to claim one of the USA's two Olympic spots in Sochi.

In this simulated competition environment, the skaters perform their new programs in front of judges and technical staff. Afterwards, they receive critiques.

"I'm gaining more confidence as I go," Lysacek told USA TODAY Sports before skating his short program. "I see myself in Sochi — yes. I hope that I can make that a reality. I have a lot of steps up the ladder to get there."

After his comeback bid was derailed last season by a groin injury and then surgery for a sports hernia, the skating world is waiting to see whether Lysacek will reclaim his spot at the top of U.S. figure skating and whether he will be healthy enough to chase history. Lysacek has a chance to become the first repeat men's gold medalist since Dick Button in 1948 and 1952.

"We're at the trial and error stage," coach Frank Carroll said. "He's recovering from his injuries and his surgeries which were a lot more extensive than a lot of people know. It's getting better and better but he is in pain and he has to be very careful with how much he does. I don't know in figure skating if someone has tried to come back from that level of injury."

In other words, don't expect an Olympic gold medal performance when Lysacek competes at the U.S. International Figure Skating Classic in Salt Lake City on Sept. 12-14.

"I think he will contend. He'll go to Salt Lake and skate well, skate decently but that's it," Carroll said. "Today we don't expect the world. In a couple of months we expect him to be much, much better and 100% by the Olympics."

This week all U.S. skaters who are assigned to a Grand Prix event attend Champs Camp, an annual conference to help prepare the skaters for the upcoming season. Of course, a pre-Olympic season is unlike any other. But there's not much anyone can tell the two-time Olympian that he doesn't already know.

"One of my greatest weapons against the competition this year is experience," Lysacek said. "I've been in almost every situation. I've been up, down, on the greatest highs and the lowest lows. … I have every silver, every gold, every bronze medal to prove it so I think those experiences will come in handy because of the ability to adapt is really crucial to success in the Olympics.

"It's not like every competition. Obstacles come at you left and right, distractions come at you left and right. To learn how to adapt to them from prior experience is really crucial to success."